As is known in the art, magnetic field sensing elements can be used in a variety of applications. In one example application, a magnetic field sensing element can be used to detect motion (e.g., rotation) of an object, such as a gear or ring magnet. A magnetic field affected by motion of the object may be detected by one or more magnetic field sensing elements, such as Hall effect elements and/or magnetoresistance elements, which provide a signal (i.e., a magnetic field signal) in response to an applied magnetic field. Motion of the object may, for example, result in variations in an air gap between the object (or target features of the object) and the magnetic field sensing elements, which may result in variations in the applied magnetic field to which the magnetic field sensing elements are exposed, and in the magnetic field signals provided by the magnetic field sensing elements in response to the applied magnetic field. Such magnetic field signals can be processed to detect position, proximity, speed and/or direction of motion of the object, for example.
Various parameters characterize the performance of magnetic field sensing elements and circuits or sensors that use magnetic field sensing elements. With regard to magnetic field sensing elements, the parameters include sensitivity, which corresponds to a change in a resistance of a magnetoresistance element or a change in an output voltage from a Hall effect element, for example, in response to an applied magnetic field (e.g., a magnetic field as may be affected by motion of a ferromagnetic object). Additionally, with regard to magnetic field sensing elements, the parameters include linearity, which corresponds to a degree to which the resistance of the magnetoresistance element or the output voltage from the Hall effect element varies linearly (i.e., in direct proportion) to the applied magnetic field.
Magnetoresistance elements are known to have a relatively high sensitivity compared, for example, to Hall effect elements. Magnetoresistance elements are also known to have moderately good linearity, but over a restricted or limited range of magnetic fields, more restricted in range than a range over which Hall effect elements can operate. It is known that in the restricted range of magnetic fields (i.e., in a so-called “linear region” or “linear range” of a magnetoresistance element), the resistance of a magnetoresistance element is typically indicative of an applied magnetic field to which the magnetoresistance element is exposed. It is also known that outside the restricted range of magnetic fields (i.e., in so-called “saturation regions”), the resistance of a magnetoresistance element is typically not indicative of the applied magnetic field. As a result of the foregoing, an operational range of a magnetoresistance element (i.e., a range in which the magnetoresistance element has a resistance that is indicative of an applied magnetic field) is typically limited to the restricted range of magnetic fields (i.e., the linear range of the magnetoresistance element). Additionally, an operational range of a circuit or sensor (e.g., a magnetic field sensor) using the magnetoresistance element (i.e., a range in which the circuit or sensor using the magnetoresistance element is capable of generating a signal indicative of the applied magnetic field) may be limited to the operational range of the magnetoresistance element.
For at least the above reasons, the fundamental usage for conventional magnetoresistance elements, and circuits or sensors using conventional magnetoresistance elements, has typically been limited to applications in which sensing is needed over a restricted range of magnetic fields (e.g., low strength magnetic fields) and the relatively high sensitivity characteristics of magnetoresistance elements are desired.